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PTO Meeting
May 28, 29:
Garden Planting - K through 4
June 2:
Color Day
June 3:
Color Day Raindate
June 3, 4:
Spring Concert
June 5:
Presentation on Instrumental Music Program |
Volunteer
Opportunities |
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Color Day
Garden Classroom
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| PTO Meeting This Wednesday at 7 p.m. |
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Join us for our
final PTO meeting of the year! We will celebrate our accomplishments
since September, tie up a few loose ends before the end of the year,
and start planning for the '09-'10 school year.
One of our orders of business will be to hold elections for next
year's open PTO Board positions. We are thrilled to share the
following
slate of interested candidates with the Burr community:
Co-President: Steve DeJesus
(dad of Emily, grade 3 next year)
Treasurer: Weiqun Shi
(mom of Alexander & Nicholas, grades 2 & 4 next year)
Fundraising: Nancy Caulfield
(mom of Ava & Sarah, grades K & 2 next year)
In addition to voting in our new board members, we have a few
budgetary items from our current year to put up for a vote (full
details on each of these proposals will come home in student folders):
- Technology line item carryover of funds to '09-'10
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Playground line item carryover of funds to '09-'10
- Color Day '09 refreshments--scale back from full pizza lunch to frozen treat
We
will have childcare in the gym for those who need it. A $5.00
contribution to defray the cost is suggested and a RSVP for childcare
to Susan Cassidy would be much appreciated.
Click here to download the meeting agenda.
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Parent Helpers Needed!
~ Burr Garden Classroom |
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It's springtime at Burr and that means we're rolling up our sleeves and getting ready to enter the Burr Classroom Garden, where each class has their own planting time and kid-themed garden. We're looking for some volunteers to help the kids during our upcoming planting days. Absolutely no gardening experience necessary!
This week, we're looking for parent helpers on the planting days. Please contact Beth Tierney to help with your child's classroom. (If you could arrive 5-10 minutes before your child's class is scheduled, that would be great.)
Thursday May 28
8:45-9:20 K-McMahon
9:30-10:05 1-Golden
10:15-10:50 1-Gaita
11:00-11:35 4-Robinson
11:50-12:25 K-Frail
1:05-1:40 2-Creeden
1:45-2:20 2-Canning
2:25-3:00 2-Littlejohn
Friday May 2910:15-10:50 4-Cohen 11:00-11:35 K-Fitch/Kelly 11:50-12:25 3-Rendulich 1:05-1:40 3-Lawton 1:45-2:20 1-Espinal 2:25-3:00 4-Evans We also need help watering! We are also looking for help watering the garden beginning this week through Labor Day Weekend. It is a VERY bite sized job if we have many volunteers. Please contact Jessica Avery if you would like to sign up for a week (ideally, we'd like 2-3 families per week to keep the loads light). |
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Get Ready for Color Day |
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 Color Day is next Tuesday, June 2 (raindate June 3)!
Here's a few reminders from Ms. Michna:
* Apply sunscreeen to your child before they leave for school.
* Pack a water bottle for your child.
* Parents can volunteer to help run Color Day stations.
* Teachers/Burr staff will bring their class to each Color Day station.
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Newton Food Pantry |
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 Next time you're grocery shopping or at the drug store, please consider picking up some extra items to help stock the Newton Food Pantry for the summer months. We will not be collecting donations during the summer, yet families in our area are still counting on the Food Pantry for help. They have made a special request for donations from all of the elementary schools in Newton and Burr was specifically asked to contribute toiletry items, including toilet paper. Anyone who can help with this last push before we go into summer, your donations will be greatly appreciated! Collection boxes are in the lobby. If you are willing and able, please help.
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New and Improved Burr PTO Web site! |
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Have you visited www.burrpto.org recently? Take a look -- it's beautiful! Our talented webmaster Lisa Ferrante-Walsh has completely redesigned and reorganized the site, making it much easier to find the information you need to stay up to date on all things Burr. Thank you Lisa!
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Burr Buddies End of Year Picnic |
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 After another full year of trips and activities with our Boston and Newton families, we're celebrating the end of our year together with a potluck cookout. Please RSVP to Dana Hanson if you plan on joining us.
Buddies End-of-the-Year Potluck
At Dana Hanson & Brian Burba's house in Auburndale
Sunday, May 31, 1-3 pm
RAINDATE: Sunday June 7 |
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Lunch Service Reminder |
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 When a late menu is submitted after the cut-off date posted on the menu, your child will be offered the choice of the bagel or breakfast fun lunch. To avoid this we encourage you to sign up for an online account. This will prevent any confusion about what your child will get for lunch.
To sign up, e-mail k5foodmenu@newton.k12.ma.us with your child's name and school.
Contact the Food Service Office at 617-559-6315, or e-mail Food_Services@newton.k12.ma.us with any questions.
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Special Ed PAC: Tips & Tricks |
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The last meeting of the Special Education Parent's Advisory Council for the 2009 school year will be Tuesday, June 2 at the Education Center, 100 Walnut Street, Newtonville at 7:30 p.m.
This meeting will be a chance to share "tips and tricks" with other parents. There are so many innovative ideas and programs that are working for parents. This is your chance to share what you have found and learn from others too. We will also review the PAC successes of the past year, and discuss projects and plans for next year.
Light refreshments and networking begin at 7:15pm. For more information, e-mail info@newtonpac.org or visit www.newtonpac.org.
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Blue Zone -- Thank You!
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Thank you to everyone in the Burr community for your cooperation during "Blue Zone Safety Week." The volunteers and other parents commented on how smoothly the Blue Zone was working as the week went on.
We had visitors from Mass Rides, the Newton Safe Routes Task Force, the City of Newton Planning Department, and the Newton Police, who came to observe a "Safety Week" in action as more are planned for the other elementary schools. Several of the observers commented that Burr is already one of the best elementary schools in terms of the number of parents who follow the Newton Blue Zone guidelines and traffic regulations! This is what keeps all of our kids safer at pickup and drop off time, and what makes the whole process more manageable for everyone.
A big thank you to all the parents who volunteered to help -- it's not an easy job, but it is an important one! If you'd like to get involved with the Burr Safe Routes Committee (formerly known as Traffic Safety) and help out with future "Walk to School" and "Blue Zone Safety" events, please e-mail tricia.bombara@gmail.com - we have an orange vest for you!
Important: There has been some question about Burr School's request that drivers not turn around on Pine St. and the legality of U-turns and 3-point turns. Right now, according to the police and the city, it is TECHNICALLY not illegal to do a U-turn or a 3-point turn on Pine St. simply because the double yellow line has not yet been repainted. It is, however, an unsafe practice in a school zone while children are running down sidewalks, crossing the street, and being dropped off and picked up, so a driver could be cited for an unsafe turn. The City should have the double lines back soon, but until that time, please comply with the spirit of the law and keep our kids safe.
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Upcoming Programs
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June 8 - Following the annual "Freedom Trail" field trip, fifth grade students will be visited by the Paul Revere House for "Paul Revere: The Man Behind the Myth." Look for a flyer in your fifth grader's folder with details.
June 12 - Kindergartener's broaden their knowledge of marine life when Ellen Goethel brings "Explore the Ocean World" to Burr. Ms. Goethel's husband is a commercial fisherman, allowing the presenter to bring in live, freshly caught sea life for students to observe and touch. Look for a flyer in your kindergartner's folder with details.
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Recent Programs
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May 8 -- Maire Anne Diamond from Bugworks LLC brought live bugs for the educational presentation to the first grade classes. She sat on the mat in a circle with students, and began to unload the plastic portable bughouse. Children were amazed by the display and introductions of live praying mantises, giant striped worms, beetles, cockroaches, millipedes and palm-sized tarantulas that makes silk trail. Children took turns to touch the bugs gently, and were delighted by the tickling feelings from their palms. Maire Ann shared with children her experience raising and feeding the bugs. She talked about life cycles and metamorphosis, anatomy, feeding strategies, locomotion, habitats and anti-predator defenses. The students were very focused, and asked a lot of questions. It was a great and successful show!
May 18 -- Artquest art historian Perry Pomery visited second graders for "Art of Mexico." The presentation used paintings, sculpture and architecture to teach students about life in Mexico from ancient to modern times. Students learned to "visualize" Mexican culture. A lively Q & A was conducted throughout the slideshow as students learned the stories of Mexico's history by studying Mexico's artwork.
All Creative Arts and Sciences Programs are fully-funded by the Burr PTO. Thank you for generous support of this program. Parents are encouraged to attend all Creative Arts programming.
Interested in becoming a part of the Creative Arts and Sciences team? The committee is being formed for next year. If you are interested in helping please contact Felicia Falchuk (feliciafalchuk@yahoo.com) or Mary Sava (jmsava@rcn.com).
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Mayoral Candidates' Forum in Auburndale
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The Auburndale Community Association is hosting a Mayoral Candidates forum on Thursday, June 4 2009 at 7:30 pm at the Auburndale Library. This is an opportunity to hear the candidates make their case and for residents to highlight their neighborhood issues to the candidates. Ruth Balser, Paul Coletti, Ken Parker and Setti Warren will be attending. Moderated town meeting format. Mark your calendars!
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League of Women Voters
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The last forum in the League of Women Voters Newton's series on the Citizen Advisory Group (CAG) reports, Critical Choices for Newton, 2009 and Beyond: A Summing Up, will be held on Wednesday, June 3, from 7-9 pm at the Druker Auditorium, Newton Free Library.
The moderator will be Alderman Verne Vance, and the panelists will be the members of the CAG. The forum will include a question and answer session, and there will be an opportunity for the audience to discuss further action. Doors open at 6:30p.m.; refreshments will be served before the forum.
For details, directions and last minute changes in scheduling, visit the Newton League Web site at www.lwvn.org, e-mail info@lwvnewton.org or call 617-964-0014.
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School Transportation Forum |
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 The Fees Subcommittee of the School Committee will be holding a public forum on school transporation on Thursday, May 28th at 7 p.m. in Room 210 at the Education Center (100 Walnut Street, Newtonville). In their report on school cost structure, the Citizen's Advisory Group (CAG) identified the area of bus transportation as a way for the SC to save costs by either raising the bus fees to more adequately cover the cost of the service or reducing the service down to the state-mandated areas. The SC is hoping to hear from the public about these ideas.
Please click here for more info on the SC web page: School Transporation Forum Documents.
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| Auburndale Community Library to open
Saturday, June 13 !!! |
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 A dedicated group of about 20 community members has been working to bring the Auburndale library back and we are thrilled to announce the opening of the Auburndale Community Library on Saturday, June 13. We will celebrate our opening with a small reception following the neighborhood "Rove the Cove" road race.
The Auburndale Community Library, Inc. is a community-based non-profit volunteer organization that will operate as a lending library independent from the Newton Main Library and the Minuteman Library Network. Our hours will be:
Tuesday 10 am - 3 pm
Thursday 3 pm - 8 pm
Saturday 10 am - 3 pm
Because we will be volunteer-staffed, we are still looking for community members who would like to join our team to help make our library a success. No library experience necessary--we're just looking for community-minded folks to sign on for one or two 2-3 hour shifts per month (this is a great way for a family to do volunteer work together). If you would like to learn more about the library or sign up to volunteer, please contact Dana Hanson or Liz Miller. |
| 'Honor Thy Teacher' campaign
Newton Schools Foundation |
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As the end of the school year is approaching, parents and classrooms often like to remember special teachers in some way. Newton Schools Foundation is presently holding their 12th annual Honor Thy Teacher campaign, which provides families and classes the opportunity to honor the Newton "no gift" policy and instead honor teachers by donating to the Honor Thy Teacher campaign through the Newton Schools Foundation website, www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org. Individuals may donate or class gifts may be made. This is an opportunity to support both past grants awarded through the Foundation, and the 21st Century Classrooms fundraising for the future. |
Youth pro Musica Spring Concert
Sunday May 31st 4pm, West Newton |
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Youth pro Musica, The Greater Boston Youth Chorus presents their Spring Concert: Songs for Spring, Peter Edwin Krasinski, Artistic Director. Sunday, May 31, 2009 - 4:00 p.m. at the First Unitarian Society Newton, 1326 Washington Street, West Newton, MA. Suggested donation $15 adults, $10 seniors. For more information, www.youthpromusica.org or phone 617-666-6087.
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